Japanese whalers' resupply ship snared

Andrew Darby

The Japanese whaling fleet's key re-supply ship, Sun Laurel, has been found by anti-whaling activists south of Australia, throwing into doubt the whalers' ability to refuel.

The 5,700 tonne tanker was located on Thursday in the Southern Ocean about 1,250 nautical miles south of Albany, Western Australia, Sea Shepherd Australia said.

The group said its new Australian ship, Sam Simon, bought in a ruse last year from the Japanese Government, found the Sun Laurel and the flagship Steve Irwin had changed course to meet up.

Sea Shepherd Australia director Jeff Hansen said the group would block access to the tanker by any whaling ships attempting to refuel, representing a "crippling result".

"It's time to rein in your fleet, Japan and head back to Tokyo," Mr Hansen said.

Last time Sea Shepherd located the Sun Laurel, in 2011, their blockade held up against the fleet for weeks before it broke free and was able to refuel the factory ship Nisshin Maru.

The blockade comes with a lawyer for Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research already threatening to cite the US arm of Sea Shepherd for contempt over the near approach of the group's ship, Brigitte Bardot, to a harpoon ship.

The US Ninth Circuit appeals court imposed an injunction on the Washington State-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), restraining its ships from attacking the whaling fleet, or approaching within 500 yards.

The group said Nisshin Maru was believed to have had fled westward since being located south of Hobart last month, and would have had very little time to process whales killed by its single accompanying harpoon ship.